1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to speaker assemblies and speaker systems, more particularly to a speaker assembly or speaker system enclosed within a pole or a series of poles.
2. Background Art
Many outdoor and indoor public areas utilize speakers, speaker systems or public address systems for reproducing sound in these areas. These areas may include city streets, parks, residential neighborhoods, office buildings, campus areas, exterior walkways, shopping malls, casinos, and the like. These areas typically utilize speakers or speaker systems that are mounted to existing building structures, structural poles, or the like. Much effort is employed in installation of these systems and protecting these speaker systems from vandalism and/or the weather. Also, efforts have been directed towards protecting the associated wires or cables provided to these speaker systems. The prior art provides a plurality of methods and apparatuses for mounting speakers and speaker systems in public areas. The prior art also provides apparatuses for protecting these speakers from the elements. Further, the prior art has offered solutions for concealing speaker systems in public areas. Many of these prior art solutions may be costly in light of the advantages provided due to manufacturing costs of various components and complex apparatuses for concealing or protecting the speakers. Further, many of these prior art speaker assemblies have a limited directional range in which the sound is conveyed.
A simplified speaker apparatus and system is needed for use in public areas that effectively conceals the speaker apparatus or system and provides a desired quality and amplitude of sound reproduction, omnidirectionally or, if desired, multi-directionally.
An object to the present invention is to provide a speaker assembly for enclosure within a structural pole. The speaker assembly includes a sub-plate for mounting a speaker proximate to an internal cavity formed in a fixed end of the structural pole. The speaker is directed toward an underlying support surface of a structural pole. A resonating chamber member that is sized to match the speaker, is oriented within the structural pole internal cavity.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the speaker assembly in combination with a structural pole.
A further object of the invention is to provide a speaker system including a series of spaced apart structural poles, each having an internal cavity and a fixed end mounted to an underlying support surface. The speaker system includes a series of speaker assemblies, each being enclosed within one of the structural poles for providing acoustical vibrations to pass out from each structural pole.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method for mounting a speaker assembly within a structural pole. The method includes installing a speaker and resonating chamber within each structural pole and adjusting the distance between the speaker and the underlying support surface to tune the speaker assembly.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.